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cjxyz 's review for:
Hickory Dickory Dock
by Agatha Christie
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
One of Christie’s brisker and better-plotted mysteries. Benefits from being obscure, meaning the solution hasn’t leaked to the general public.
The story centres on a group of students at hostel run by a bad-tempered and miserly manager. Several random objects are mysteriously stolen- a stethoscope, a diamond ring, several light bulbs. The famous detective Hercule Poirot is dragged into the mystery because his secretary’s sister happens to manage the establishment. Before long, the hostel is swimming in murders.
The best aspects of Hickory Dickory Dock are its well-observed depiction of relationships between a group of young people, and its storytelling efficiency. The book is under 200 pages and flies by, with no wasted space but plenty of intrigue and red herrings. It’s a demonstration of utter genre mastery by Christie.
On the negative side, dated racial humour with the depiction of some of the black hostel guests which is bad even by the standards of the time. If you can ignore that, it’s a great story.
The story centres on a group of students at hostel run by a bad-tempered and miserly manager. Several random objects are mysteriously stolen- a stethoscope, a diamond ring, several light bulbs. The famous detective Hercule Poirot is dragged into the mystery because his secretary’s sister happens to manage the establishment. Before long, the hostel is swimming in murders.
The best aspects of Hickory Dickory Dock are its well-observed depiction of relationships between a group of young people, and its storytelling efficiency. The book is under 200 pages and flies by, with no wasted space but plenty of intrigue and red herrings. It’s a demonstration of utter genre mastery by Christie.
On the negative side, dated racial humour with the depiction of some of the black hostel guests which is bad even by the standards of the time. If you can ignore that, it’s a great story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism